| Fall is the best time to plant wildflower seeds for a beautiful spring display. |
It’s time to get out in the yard again. Many of us rush to local nursery and garden centers to buy plants in March and April when the weather warms. But fall is for planting too.
Shrubs, cold-hardy perennials and trees especially can benefit from being planted now. Cooler temperatures and increased rainfall create great conditions to minimize stress on new plants. Trees benefit tremendously from being planted during their winter dormancy. Planting in the fall also reduces the need for excessive irrigation to get plants established, because with cooler temperatures soil does not dry out as quickly.
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Here are a few simple things to remember when you are planting to get your landscape off to a great start:
- Dig holes only as deep as the root ball in the pot. If you want to dig the hole bigger, make it wider rather than deeper. This will keep the plant from sinking into the planting hole with time.
- Using hand pruners, carefully make a clean cut though any roots that are wrapping around and around the root ball. This will help the plant roots grow outward and prevent the potential for girdling roots in the future.
- Firmly pack soil back around the plant once it is in the planting hole. This will help remove any air pockets that might cause the roots to dry out.
- Use mulch around newly planted plants but leave a bit of clear space just around the stem of the plant. This will help keep roots moist and at the same time prevent problems with moisture and fungus against the stem of the plant.
- Thoroughly water your plants just after planting to help settle the soil.
- Keep the soil moist (but not wet) for several months after planting to help your plants establish their root systems. Let the soil become almost dry before watering. At this time of year you may only need to water once every couple of weeks if there is no rain.
- Finally, don’t forget to plant a few wildflower seeds in your garden. Plant spring-blooming wildflower seeds now and they will germinate in a few weeks. Growing over the winter gives wildflowers plenty of time to prepare for a beautiful spring show.
Elizabeth Drozda-Freeman is the conservation landscape specialist for the Lower Colorado River Authority. She can be reached at (512) 473-3200, Ext. 2230, or elizabeth.drozda-freeman@lcra.org.
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